1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a centrifugal separation container, a centrifugal separation device that centrifugally separates components of a specimen present in a container by rotating the container about a central axis of the container as a rotation axis, and a centrifugal separation method using the centrifugal separation container and the centrifugal separation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A centrifugal separation method of centrifugally separating components of a specimen, such as blood, present in a container by rotating the container has been known in the related art. In this centrifugal separation method, a centrifugal separation container, which includes an inner wall inclined so as to rise toward the outer periphery from the center and includes a storage portion forming a storage space storing a specimen in the container, is used and the container is rotated after a specimen is injected into the storage space. Further, components having a low specific gravity in the respective components of the specimen are separated first by a centrifugal force, which is caused by the rotation of the container, so that the components sequentially form a layer structure toward an outer peripheral side from an inner peripheral side. After that, when the rotation of the container stops, a low specific gravity component present on the inner peripheral side is generally released from the layer structure body and is stored on the bottom of the container.
However, when the centrifugal separation container in the related art is used, a low specific gravity component is not significantly released from the layer structure body even when the rotation of the container stops. For this reason, there is a problem in that considerable time is required until a low specific gravity component is stored on the bottom of the container. Particularly, when blood is centrifugally separated, a solvent may be applied to the inner wall of the container for the prevention of hemolysis. However, since the solvent causes the low specific gravity component (blood plasma) to be not easily released, the above-mentioned problem is significant. Further, since the amount of a specimen to be treated in the centrifugal separation container at a time as described above is in the range of 600 μL to 800 μL, the amount of a specimen, which can be recovered, is reduced when the centrifugal separated components stick to the inside of the storage portion. For this reason, a problem that the necessary amount of a specimen cannot be recovered may also occur.
Accordingly, various methods have been proposed in order to improve the recovery efficiency of a low specific gravity component. For example, JP2001-239185A discloses a method of facilitating the release of a low specific gravity component from the layer structure body by inducing the capillary phenomenon of a low specific gravity component using a centrifugal separation container that includes capillary phenomenon inducing structures formed on an inner wall surface of a storage portion thereof. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,947,186B discloses a method of facilitating the flow of a low specific gravity component and facilitating the release of a low specific gravity component from the layer structure body by using a centrifugal separation container that includes a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region formed on an inner wall surface of a storage portion.